WASHINGTON -- The White House Thursday criticized former U.S. President Bill Clinton and Sen. Hillary Clinton for remarks on the commutation of I. Lewis Libby's sentence.

Libby, a former vice presidential aide, was convicted of lying to investigators in the leaking of CIA operative Valerie Plame's identity. He was sentenced to 30 months in prison, two years probation and a $250,000 fine. U.S. President George Bush Monday threw out the jail time but left the probation and fine intact.

Senator Clinton, D-N.Y., who is seeking the Democratic presidential nomination accused Bush of issuing the pardon to keep Libby from revealing White House machinations while the former president denied any of the pardons he issued were for self-preservation.

"I would say that it is amazing to me that they can -- with what they did on Jan. 20, 2001, they can criticize the president for issuing a commutation -- his fourth -- insomuch as they issued -- President Clinton issued 141 pardons on Jan. 20; over 200 in the period -- in the post-election period in 2000. It sort of pales in comparison," White House spokesman Scott Stanzel told the daily press briefing.